Identity theft costs victims time, money

ERIC CONOVER/Staff Photographer
Trooper Shannon Yorke talks about identity theft during a recent interview at state police Troop N headquarters in West Hazleton.

They root through your garbage, trick you into sharing personal information, swipe your wallet, prowl around your Internet connection - just like burglars who break into your home.

Thieves are out to get your money and will use various methods including technology to obtain and use your personal information to their advantage, law enforcement officials say.

The Federal Trade Commission, in a March blog post, says identity theft is at the top of its list of consumer complaints for the fifth consecutive year. Of the more than 2 million complaints the agency received in 2012, nearly one in five was about identity theft.

State police Trooper Shannon Yorke, community services/public information officer at Troop N headquarters in West Hazleton, said it is difficult to say whether identity theft crimes have increased locally, because she feels many incidents are never reported to police - even though that is probably one of the most important things to do.

"You're a victim of a crime, definitely report it. We want to stop it," she said.

The FTC, which tries to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair practices in the marketplace, says identity theft is a serious crime that can create chaos with finances, credit history and reputation, and takes both time and money to repair.

According to the agency's website, thieves are most likely to go after a person's wages, government benefits, tax refunds, or credit card and bank accounts. Others opened utility accounts, obtained medical care, took out loans and rented apartments with another person's identity.

State police Trooper Adam Reed, based in the Harrisburg headquarters, said some identity thieves do it as a primary means of income, while others are motivated by a drug habit.

The thieves take full advantage of technology, social media and email, he said, attempting to obtain their victim's email passwords and bank account information online. Others, though, will try to obtain personal information by phone, he said.

The techniques vary, but the motives are the same.

"There are a lot of ways now that you can commit a crime like this," Reed said, nothing that all a thief may need is a person's name, date of birth and Social Security number.

He said thieves have paid their bills and obtained mortgages and other loans using the personal information of another individual. He has also seen thieves using personal information to file a tax return as a way to steal a refund check.

Though some thieves are more technologically advanced than others, there are those who stick to more traditional routes of committing crimes. Reed said some thieves will obtain a victim's information through something as simple as snatching their wallet.

It could only take seconds for a thief to get someone's personal information to commit a crime. But the victim's recovery can take much longer, according to Maria Finn, a state police spokeswoman.

Reed said identity theft can create "a litany or problems" for a victim. If the crime is severe enough, a person may be faced with rebuilding their credit and may have to prove to the credit card company and/or bank that they didn't use the money and were, in fact, victims of fraud.

The victim may find, if the thief emptied their bank account, they won't be able to immediately pay bills and make purchases they need to.

Yorke said identity thieves do more than financial damage; they also can ruin a person's reputation. For example, thieves who have stolen a driver's license have used it as their identity after being arrested.

Reed said some cases of identity theft and credit card fraud are "open and shut," but others are more involved, making it difficult to apprehend the thief, especially if they are from another country or another state.

Thieves also obtain information through email by claiming to offer a reward, estate proceeds or sweepstakes winnings - but only after the victim first provides their bank account numbers or other personal information.

How to fight back

Identity theft scams are continuing to evolve into new versions of old tricks, Reed said, but people only have to follow simple rules to protect themselves.

Yorke said the number one rule is, "If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is."

Also, she said, a person should not have to spend money to win money, and should never have to furnish personal information over the phone if they are being solicited by someone else.

She suggests people limit the number of credit cards they carry in they purse or wallet.

Stocki said one of the best ways to protect yourself is by reviewing credit card and bank statements, bills and credit reports.

Yorke suggested shredding mailings before throwing them out, with a shredder, a pair of scissors - or your hands.

When using credit cards or bank cards at stores, Yorke said, consumers should shield their card from those around them by placing their hands in the way.

Before making online purchases, Yorke said to make sure the computer being used is properly protected with virus protection and a firewall to prevent the hacking of information.

Reed said a lot of thieves prey on older generations of Americans, and they play with the victims' emotions to get what they want.

Not too long ago, people reported receiving calls about a relative who was stranded in a prison, in America or another country, and needed money for bail. In that case, the person should hang up the phone and call the prison their relative is said to be held in to make sure it isn't a scam, Reed said.

A thief also may pretend to work for legitimate companies or agencies as a way to coerce someone into giving up personal information.

One scam that is very prevalent now, Reed said, is a person claiming to be from Microsoft and offering protection for computers, but the victim has to provide payment information. The caller will tell the victim they will protect their computer remotely, he said, and when the victim refuses to give the caller information, they reply that something bad will happen to the computer if they don't purchase the protection.

Thieves involved in phone scams are very pushy, Reed said. "They don't like to hear no."

Yorke said fraud, scams and identity theft need to be reported right away, not just to credit card companies, banks and police but also to agencies like the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, for example, if a driver's license was stolen.

In his own experience, Reed said, law enforcement has a good relationship with a lot of credit card companies and banks that share information to help solve cases.

achristman@standardspeaker.com

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